With warm temperatures and smoky conditions a routine part of the forecast each summer, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division is reminding workers and employers about staying safe during outdoor work.
“Employers are obligated to create and maintain safe and healthy workplaces,” said Oregon OSHA spokesperson Aaron Corvin. “And that’s safety and health across industries for a variety of hazards.”
Oregon’s worker safety rules for wildfire smoke are based on the Air Quality Index, which measures the micrograms of particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller per cubic meter of air.
The lowest rating that requires protection for employees is an AQI of 101, which includes requirements for regular air monitoring, face coverings that meet National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standards such as an N-95 mask, employee training and more.
The video training portion is considered fulfilled with the viewing of Oregon OSHA videos on the topic, which are available in English and Spanish.
Rules around heat are instituted based on the heat index, which is a mix of temperature and humidity and include precautions like access to shade, water and chances to cool down.
The level at which precautions go into effect is a heat index of 80 degrees.Those precautions include a requirement that workers have access to a shaded area and 32 ounces of cool drinking water per employee per hour.
Rules also include training on heat for employees and supervisors, rest breaks and more. That training requirement is also covered by an Oregon OSHA video that is available in English and Spanish.
"Everything that we do here with Oregon OSHA is about prevention,” said Corvin. “This is about being vigilant, understanding the risks and moving to address them so we’re keeping folks as safe and healthy on the job as we can."
Oregon OSHA publishes guides for workplaces that cover rules for both working in heat and working in wildfire smoke. Information is also available at its A-to-Z topic index page, and free consultations are available by phone at 800-922-2689 or via an online request form.
